Times Past 28.11.08
25 YEARS AGO
Bristows Helicopters yesterday took over the search and rescue contract based at Sumburgh. The contract has always been held by British Airways Helicopters since 1971. At first it was run from Aberdeen, but in 1980 it was shifted to Sumburgh.
The new search and rescue helicopter which went on call at Sumburgh yesterday is an S61N. The helicopter will be on 15 minutes readiness during the day and 45 minutes at night.
The new contract will mean some new jobs at Sumburgh for pilots and winchmen, but how many is classified information, said Captain Mitchell. Bristows had previously moved from Sumburgh to Unst taking staff with them.
Bristows have a housing scheme at Hardbrakes, but very few of the houses have been occupied since the company moved its operations to Unst. Captain Mitchell said that some of the houses would be used for staff being brought up from Aberdeen.
50 YEARS AGO
The County Council have approved in principle the erection of temporary housing accommodation in Scalloway for the housing of tinker families – and in doing so have completely upset the village ratepayers, who are now organising a petition against the move.
The county architect reported to the Housing Sub-Committee, with a site plan of the scheme of thirty houses at Scalloway, on which he had indicated a site considered suitable for the erection of temporary housing accommodation.
The hut, if erected where shown, would be most obscure from the roadway, and as the water and drainage services were only eighteen yards distant it would be an economical arrangement.
When the news leaked out in Scalloway last week, there was an instant reaction against the proposal.
An emergency meeting of the committee of the local Ratepayers’ Association was held on Saturday night, when it was decided to organise a petition.
The petition notes that tenants of houses in Scalloway take the gravest possible exception to the committee erecting hutments or other accommodation for the housing of tinker families in the village.
100 YEARS AGO
Important local developments have taken place in connection with the alleged murder of the unfortunate woman Mary Carroll, who was found on Saturday last week, lying on a piece of waste ground at the North Wall, Dublin. Blood was issuing from her nose and mouth, and there was a deep wound over her left breast, which had evidently been inflicted by a long dagger or knife.
There was a sensational development in the case at Dublin Police Court on Monday when one man, Thomas Grant, aged 25, of Broomielaw, Glasgow, was charged with the murder. The prisoner, who is a native of Lerwick, was formerly in the Royal Artillery. He was one of a crew of six on board the Baron Kelvin, which arrived at Dublin on November 6. He was remanded.
